Glam, Fundraising
and Food at the LGWM Christmas Gala!
ByJustine Frangouli-Argyris
Author-Journalist
Despite
the severe snowstorm that battered the city on Sunday, December 3rd, 400 guests
flocked to the Lyceum of Greek Women of Montreal's (LGWM) annual Christmas
gala, a culinary happening that was dedicated to the historic
"Afroditi" Greek bakery this time.
The
profits of the event, which amounted to $50,000 this year, were given to the great
researcher, professor and Director of Gerald Bronfman Department of Oncology
at McGill, Dr. Lucy Gilbert, in order to support the completion of her
"DOvEEgene" project, the new preventive test for the detection of
ovarian and endometrial cancers.
This
is a pioneering molecular test which takes fluid from the fallopian tubes in
order to ascertain, the existence of pre-cancerous or atypical cells since, as
Dr. Gilbert has published, ovarian cancer forms in the fallopian tubes,
circulates through the blood and lymphnotes and only reaches the ovaries at a
late stage with 75% of the instances resulting in death. In the clinical
research conducted by Dr. Gilbert on over 3000 women so far, 1% were found with
precancerous cells and proceeded to a hysterectomy while 7% were found with
atypical cells and have been enlisted for repeated checks every two years.
Dr.
Lucy Gilbert, who raved about Athens during her trip to Greece this summer,
revealed that she met with the then Chancellor of the University of Athens, Dr.
Thanos Dimopoulos, with whom she initiated contacts in order for Greece to
receive the DOvEEgene test once it has been approved and certified by
Health Canada.
"The
DOvEEgene test will be given to Greece as the LGWM has contributed greatly to
its clinical research, both monetarily and by disseminating the project, since
¼ of the women who have undergone the test come from the Greek-Canadian
community," announced the renowned researcher.
Personally,
as President of the LGWM who had the good fortune to accompany Dr. Gilbert to
Greece, a woman who has 7 sisters who are all distinguished doctors in their
own right in the United States, I am very proud of the LGWM's participation in
this research that has, not only a scientific value since it will save millions
of women's lives in the future, but is also imbued with the deep piety of the
research doctor herself who believes in the power of prayer!
During
the course of the evening, the Secretary-General of the Canadian Ministry of
Tourism and MP for Vimy, Annie Koutrakis, and the
MP for Saint-Laurent, Emmanuela Lambropoulos, were honored for their promotion
of bilateral relations between Greece and Canada as was Archon Anestis
Karagiannidis for his entrepreneurship, phlotelism and long-standing support
for the Greek Orthodox Church of Canada.
Delicious
hot appetizers with a nouveau Greek take were prepared by Chef Ted Dranias of
"Petros Taverna" while Chef Barbara of "Embassy Plaza"
offered up tasty bites influenced by the Mediterranean flavours of Greece and
Italy.
The
dessert table that featured traditional Greek Christmas deserts as well as
modern confectionary masterpieces was created by the chefs of "Afroditi
Bakery" led by Christos Hatzimarkou.
The fundraising
gala was welcomed by the Consul-General of Greece in Montreal, Katerina
Varvarigou, and Marie-Hélène Laramée, president of the MUHC Foundation, a
fundraising institute of McGill University, who emphasized the important
contribution of the LGWM to the DOvEEgene Project.
The
evening was hosted by the internatinally known journalist and Professor of
Journalism at Concordia University, Aphrodite Salas, while Artemis Lagopoulou
captivated everyone with the performance of her musical group . Co-chairs of
the event were the LGWM's treasurer, Vicky Georgiadou, and its secretary, Eleni
Drakopoulou.
Among
those present at the happening were the mayor of Pierrefonds, Dimitrios Beis,
the municipal councillors of Montreal, Mary Deros and Effie Giannou, the
municipal councillors of Laval, Sandra El Hallouh, Vassilis Karydogiannis and
Aglaia Revelakis, as well as the presidents of many women's organizations
including Melpa Kamateros (Shield of Athena), Ioanna Tsoumplekas
("Filia," the Friendship-organization of the Third Age), Belle
Grivakis (Hellenic Ladies Benevolent Society), Panagiota Tsitouras (St.
George's Philoptochos) and Denise Vourtzoumis (Pink in the City).
Food
and wine were plentiful in a Greek-centric evening with TV coverage from
Dimitris Papadopoulos' "Edo Montreal," Giorgos Giusmas'
"Kalimera Patrida" and Nasos Papanikolopoulos' "Zoume
Montreal.".
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